king

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Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:

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  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
  • Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))

Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:

“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

See also king (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on 2 Maccabees 4:46

Therefore Ptolemy, taking the king aside into a colonnade as if for refreshment, induced the king to change his mind: The connector Therefore may be expanded to “So, while the trial was in progress” or “So, while they were trying Menelaus.” This connector introduces the positive response of Ptolemy to the bribe of Menelaus during the trial. A colonnade is a long porch-like structure whose roof is supported by a row of evenly spaced columns. Here colonnade is technically incorrect; the Greek word here refers to a “peristyle,” which is an open courtyard surrounded by a colonnade. The colonnade around the courtyard was part of the building in which the king was conducting the trial of Menelaus. In the open courtyard they would be more likely “to get some fresh air” (Good News Bible) than in the colonnade itself. Goldstein correctly translates colonnade as “courtyard.” Good News Bible avoids the problem by rendering taking the king aside into a colonnade as “asked the king to go outside the courtroom,” but this creates another problem. “Courtroom” suggests a room that is constructed as a courtroom and used consistently and only for that purpose. That is not the case here. The court was being held in some convenient building in Tyre. It would be better to say “asked the king to go outside with him.” This would avoid both problems. The idea of “asked” is not explicit in the Greek text, but taking the king aside suggests that Ptolemy took the initiative, and he surely did not force the king to go. So “asked” is clearly implied and Good News Bible only makes it explicit. Refreshment does not refer to food and drink. It means getting fresh air. Induced the king to change his mind means that Ptolemy succeeded in getting the king to declare Menelaus innocent instead of guilty.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• So, while the trial was under way [or, while they were trying Menelaus], Ptolemy asked the king to step outside with him to get some fresh air, and there he persuaded him to change his mind [about Menelaus].

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.